Bob Hoskins, British Star of 'Who Framed Roger Rabbit,' Dies

7:56 AM PDT, April 30, 2014

Chris Jackson/ Getty Images

Bob Hoskins -- the British actor perhaps best known for his starring role in the 1988 comedy Who Framed Roger Rabbit -- has died at age 71.

A family statement issued Wednesday by his publicist in London said Hoskins died in the hospital after a bout with pneumonia. His wife Linda and children Alex, Sarah, Rosa and Jack, said in a statement they were "devastated by the loss of our beloved Bob."

Hoskins -- who announced in 2012 that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and was retiring from acting -- appeared in some of the most acclaimed British films of the past few decades, as well as U.S. movies including Hook and Maid in Manhattan.

Academy Award winner Helen Mirren was quick to react to the news: "Bob was a great actor and an even greater man. Funny, loyal, instinctive, hardworking, with that inimitable energy that seemed like a spectacular firework rocket just as it takes off. When I worked with him on his iconic film, The Long Good Friday, he was supportive and un-egotistic. He was never sexist, when many around at that time, were. I had the honor of watching the creation of one of the most memorable characters of British film."